“My child and others left Co Down and Co Antrim and were found 55 hours later in Ballymena, nearly 50 miles away.

“I was terrified they were dead or would be raped, trafficked or killed.

"But these kids just think it’s funny. There was not even a moment of remorse when my child was taken into police custody and when the police brought my child home, I could see posts of selfies from the police car.

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“I’ve been told my child and friends are in the lead in this competition because they managed to vanish for 55 hours before they were discovered.

“It was just terrifying and my child, who is 14, doesn’t seem to get it. They need a wake up call but I’m worried what that would be.”

When police visited the teenager’s school pupils assured officers it was just a Facebook challenge and would be over within 48 hours. But the youngsters ignored the 48-hour goal and kept the game going.

The mum said: “We got lucky this time. Another teenager may not be so lucky and I dread to think of the consequences that could bring about.”